Snowflakes in Zion

Each seminary student cut out a snowflake, as we talked about the lines we are not supposed to cross. Stay safely within the commandments. Be obedient. Be clean, and pure. Monday I will ask them if they can remember which snowflake is theirs. And apply it to the lesson.



No snow on the ground. Frozen puddles. I drove by the Bush River yesterday and it is frozen along the edges.

I have a growing appreciation for the home teaching program in the Church. I know it isn't an easy assignment, to correlate schedules, find everyone home. We have missed visits since we've been here in this home. Until recently, we got a new assignmnet. Once a month, an assigned man from the Church comes and checks on us, in our home. Gives us a lesson. Sometimes brings treats his wife made. Makes sure we are doing okay spiritually and physically. THIS MONTH HE FIXED OUR VAN HEATER! Every time I get in the van and feel the warmth, I am thankful. We would have gone much longer waiting to go get it fixed. My warm toes are thankful!

I know sometimes we do things for free-service/donations/gifts--but it makes it really easy to offer to barter/trade/reciprocate in these situations. This hometeacher is super talented and handy. Mechanically and tear-down-walls kind of guy. In return one of his sons is going to get a fantastic bedroom redo, mural of his choosing. That, to me, is what creating a Zion community is all about. No poor among you because you are sharing your talents and means with one another, united in faith and service, pure in heart=loving and free from the vices and selfishness that ruins neighborhoods.

Passing Things Sideways-Lovebags

I was looking for a picture of a pillow, and found some picture treasures, things I did before I was blogging. This is a headboard I made for a teenager's room, using an old door, trim, and white on white wallpaper. One of the pro-bono projects, before my financial advisor helped me gain the confidence to charge for the decorating work I do for others...

Which is still a tender point. I have felt complete freedom to arrange/decorate as I please. Red RED tomato red bedroom walls...loved this room of ours for 7 years! I feel that the years of freedom to practice decorating in our home has been a great way to learn. And then friends/acquaintances have started to ask me for help...


I paint. I paint everything. The joke is, "if it holds still, I will paint it!"

I am thankful for lovebags and furniture passed sideways. For example: the crib that I couldn't pass along....

I had gotten rid of ALL my baby paraphernalia after Suzanna's birth--I was so sick with Crohn's Disease, and didn't think we were going to have any more children. Pregnant with baby #5 who was going to have to sleep in a laundry basket (not the antique bassinet inherited from my dad-they all sleep in that at birth, but it doesn't last long with my long-legged babies!)

A friend from Church gave us their old crib before Sam was born. The older four children helped me paint it with crazy colors to welcome their new brother. You can see one of the end pieces behind the bench, on the right of the glass doors.
I have hung the rails together as an art piece.
Today one of the rails holds family history hearts. It is no longer a crib with all the parts, or maybe it could be reconstructed to give away or future grandma service (when our children come home with their children to visit, no announcement).

Sideways Lovebag requirements:
1. someone gives you something with no expectation for re numeration and they are decluttering and serving you.
2. the gift isn't their livelihood, what they do professionally, in which case when you ask them for help and they give it you should ASK and offer to pay them for materials/service, or the artist/decorator should have the confidence to bill them accordingly.
3. if it is family or a good GOOD friend, it is different. There is an understanding of reciprocity, sustaining one another, serving because you love them.

I can tell I am talking about more than one thing, and I still need to forgive and let go of some resentment for work done for free...art work, not babysitting.

We've been talking about Zion in daily seminary--one heart, one mind, and no poor among them.

We aren't near to that. The inequality, and the combination of lazy/won't work verses sick/can't work and the worker bees/service-oriented and the worker bees/take advantage-of-other's-service is complicated.

I am not saying this well.

So I should stop and embrace the stupor of tongue/typing fingers. EDIT

Youth & Obedience

This is my mother-by-marriage's great grandfather, the guy Budge Hall at BYU is named after. Note the beard.





I belong to a church that asks for hard things. Standards. Expectations. Committments. Promises. Obedience. DOing certain things, and NOT DOing other things.

I don't smoke. I don't drink. I don't do recreational drugs. (I do take lots of prescribed drugs for my Crohn's Disease maintenance, and I DO believe in immunizations!) I don't even drink coffee or tea, or eat mocha ice cream...

(I do eat ice cream. This is not a Church doctrine, but it is cultural and family-tradition where I am from. I am not perfect about taking care of my body, but I am working on it. Exercise makes me feel good. I believe in sugar and chocolate, especially together...)

I obey the 10 commandments, believe they are from God. I also tithe, fast, and go to Church every Sunday for 3 hours. I volunteer there for 2 of those hours, serving in the youth program for 18 months-12 year old children.

I believe prayers are answered. I believe in prophets, ancient (Isaiah, Abraham, Noah, Samuel, Lehi, Moroni) and modern, even living ones today (Thomas S. Monson). I believe the scriptures are true, words of wisdom from God to us, to help us, lift us, teach us, show us what we should do and what NOT to do--good and bad examples.



I believe children are born innocent (and that Adam and Eve were married and our first parents--AND that science is good & real), clean, free from sin. I believe in the Atonement, in repentance, and forgiveness. I was baptized by immersion and I try to follow Jesus Christ. I am a Christian, and want to be better at knowing what that means.


I believe in families, and their importance in the plan of happiness. I believe in marriage, in fidelity, modesty, virtue, and covenants. (Skip ahead if this is too much information: No pre-marital or outside marriage sex. BUT yes, sex in marriage, not just for pro-creation. And while we are on the subject, we have 6 children because we wanted them. Yearned for them. Wanted to be parents. Knew the advantages of growing up with siblings. John is oldest of 4, I am oldest of 9. Do the math.)


I feel strongly about all worthy young men in the Church should serve missions when they turn 19. It gives them the opportunity to go to the temple for the first time, make covenants and promises with God, teach the Gospel for 2 years, and strengthen their testimonies. (You learn what you have to teach--but the more prepared they are, the better!) Young women can go when they are 21, but only serve a year and a half. Why? I have my own theories.

Sometimes timing is everything. One of the things I think is the most amazing about John and I is our almost exactly two year age difference (born 2 days and 2 years apart), and my being older making it possible for us to serve missions at the same time. Dating when we were 19 and 21 and putting our papers in at the same time, waiting for our callings, going into the Missionary Training Center within a month of each other (that would have been too hard being there at the same time and NOT kissing, only handshakes of greeting?), writing letters for 2 years, my coming home 6 months earlier. Getting married 2 months later. Short engagement, but we knew we wanted to be together.



People can change on missions. Hopefully they grow up, mature, stabilize, and have faith-building experiences that cement their committment to God. They learn obedience, independence from their family, how to cook, take care of an apartment, be responsible for their time and work with a companion with similar goals. It is great marriage prep! Although you don't choose your missionary companion (a mission president assigns you), you do get to choose whom you marry.



And you marry someone you date. You date someone who attracts you, interests you physically, spiritually, intellectually, emotionally...but you keep dating and then courting someone you can trust. Deep-down trust. Trust with your heart, your body, your future.


I met him when he was very young. Not this young, but oh, doesn't he look like his kids?
He had a beard, beautiful, soft, very, very nice. He likes it. I like it. For years he would grow it in the winter, shave for summer. I looked forward to the seasonal changes.

But he obeyed. He shaved for his mission. And he shaved when the bishop asked him to for his church assignment, which he does as volunteer work. Nobody is paid for the hours and hours of work we do for Church. Being married to the Elder's Quorum President has been eye-opening. Hours of meetings and assignments. You have no idea unless you have been there.

He is at the ocean, and forgot his razor. And asked me to bring it when I join them on Monday. Even on his vacation. He may have other reasons (he did mention not wanting a weird suntan on only parts of his face) but I was super-impressed with this man I married.

He obeys the Lord. I can trust him.